In life science laboratories, researchers often need to mix, blend, or gently agitate biological samples without damaging them. That's where an agitator comes in. It's a precise, programmable platform that can agitate samples, ensuring uniform distribution of material for experiments.
Our client, Scientific Industries, is a global leader in laboratory equipment with a suite of successful agitator products. They asked Daedalus to design an updated agitator that eliminated the noise caused by the rotation motors, a large source of complaints from users. In addition, they wanted to combine two existing products into one: it should be able to both rotate samples in a circle at a configurable speed and rock them back and forth within a configurable angle. Our team selected a stepper motor with a silent controller and isolated the motor and gearbox components to minimize vibration. Through multiple design iterations and extensive testing, we implemented a gear reduction system with a back-driving mechanism that balanced performance, safety, and cost-effectiveness. The result was a 90% reduction in noise, making the device unobtrusive in laboratory settings. A key challenge was designing an intelligent interface that could prevent user errors while maintaining flexibility. Our solution included electronic mode switching, touchscreen controls for speed and angle adjustments, and cycle timers. We used motor gearing and a motor lead shorting circuit to make sure plates didn’t go limp and spill liquid in the event of power loss. The design featured a magnetic plate system supporting multiple configurations, including a rubber rocker for bags and the ability to add a second layer of trays. Clear on-screen instructions showed users proper setup and orientation. Our design landed comfortably within our client’s cost target, and Scientific Industries has sold the Roto-Rock Genie to countless laboratories doing groundbreaking scientific research. For more information, visit the Roto-Rock Genie product page at Scientific Industries.